THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1895. THE CITY UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2579, 3 August 1895, Page 2

THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 1895. THE CITY UNEMPLOYED.

With, which are incorporated the Wellington Independent, established 1845, and the New Zealander. 1 : V '

Ir was a pleasing concidence that'enablodj us to publish both lira,Pulton’s distressful letter and the discussion in the City Council on the remedial measures proposed by Messrs Gale and Boss. Wo offer our compliments to those gentlemen for the energy which the good work of the-Queen’s Drive does not appear to have exhausted. Prom their report to the Council we learn that there are still in Wellington fifty good men - and true who, when asked the figure of their sympathy, answer with a collective five hundred . sterling. We feel' sure, knowing Wellington fairly well, that the number of good men and true is not con- f fined to fifty, though, perhaps, it might be difficult to find another fifty whose sympathy would mount up with prompt facility to : five hundred sterling, nevertheless thoir sympathy is real, and possibly another fifty' might,without ; difficulty, roach the figure of JJ2SO, and there may be a of fifties easy to dig out of the' city benevolence,' not: requiring: much labour, we feel sure, in the process, who will bo good for sums in proportion, and ready, to benefit the city as well as, their less for-; tunate fellow-citizens. At the same time, we trust that, after making ‘ every con-

cession to benevolence it will bo found that the case is by no means desperate. -It is, wo may remark, the darkest hour before the dawn. But the proximity of the dawn never lightens the preceding darkest hour. Wool is rising, mining is being irrigated by large streams of capital from many countries ; even meat is believed by some enthusiasts to be on the high road to a great success; gram is, at ali events for the moment, whicii includes the next season, in ; excellent prospect; and . the dairy industry has its prophets of no uncertain sound. That is the dawn. Hut the darkest hour of winter is with us, and an old proverb says that the horse must be kept alive somehow while -the grass is growing. Therefore we trust that the movement initiated here, on the same lines as last year, which were a noble example to New Zealand, will be carried further. The municipality can very well afford to increase its contribution proportionately, and the State in that case will have to follow suit. Better this for humanity’s sake than a soup kitchen. All honour to the soup kitchen, but for the sake of mankind drown the kitchen in a noble subscription. Substitute some useful permanent work which will employ the people till the coming sun of prosperity rises, and enrich the citizens permanently with some fine work like the making of a great recreation ground ; which shall be a beauty to the eye for over, and an inexhaustible reservoir of health. THE TRUCE ACT. It is well to pass Truck Acts for the protection of the work-people. It is more than well; it is necessary. But it is also well for the work-people to behave well under the Truck Acts. It is also more than well; it is necessary. Cole’s ease, decided in the Magistrate's Court the other day, supplies food for reflection. The Magistrate, in deciding in Cole’s favour, said he was sorry to be forced to do so. The law, he declared bluntly, forced him to turn his back on his usual equity and good conscience, and made him give an unjust decision. We do not propose to comment on that magisterial statement, made as it was by a careful, strong man who never forgets his sense of responsibility. The time to comment will bo when the appeal, of which notice has been given, has been > disposed of. For the present we must be content with pointing, out that the Truck Act appears to be incomplete. It is now asserted, in consequence of Cole’s case, that a workman can get goods from his employer, agree to a moderate weekly payment from his wages, make a profit out of the same, and then repudiate payment by invoking the Truck Act. We are far from saying that Colo behaved in this way. ’His character and his case are bound for a superior Court, and both will get justice. What we wish to comment on is that the Magistrate said that in the event of an appeal to , the Truck Act by a man who wanted only to repudiate his just obligations he would be obliged by the law to support him. Now, the Truck Act was not designed for the pillage of employers. It was designed to prevent the pillage of employees. It has succeeded in that object,.. But_it. must, be prevented from permitting the pillage of employers, There is no reason why employers should not supply men Whom they have,reason to believe in with goods on fair terms of credit. The Truck Act aims at preventing them from compelling their employees to get every necessary from them at exorbitant prices; aims at the truck system, in fact. If an employee wants to buy some of the goods of the firm that employs him, for the purpose of making money by work-, ing them up in his spare time, be ought not to be allowed to evade payment by pleading the Truck Act. On the contrary, if he pleads the' Act to evade his just debts, contracted' of his own free will, he ought to bo made to suffer the penalty that usually, attaches to getting goods, by false pretences. BUND CRITICISM. We have an attack along the whole line of the increases on the Estimates, apparently for no other reason than the joy of cavilling. But in each case there is justice. Take the case of the Public Trustee, a man of vast industry and organising power. A . large increase ’ .of duty is put upon his increases in fact. It is tight that there should be a corresponding increase of salary. The only blot in the arrangement is that the increase of salary’does not correspond in proportion: it is not enough. To poncing)u this as political favouritism is on the fuse qf it absurd, Then' take Captain Honnah'a allowance as fire-inspegter, It is for extra work, which lie is eminently fitted to do, ■ has dona well, and is doing to the great advantage of tho 1 public SQrVlcs, ’J.b.Qfl there is the Under-Secratapy for Public Works, whoso office work' .and responsibilities have beeri ’largely added to by the change in the railway management.' There the extra pay is more than earned by the : extra work. This case is very unfortunate for the critics. Formerly there were three Commissioners drawing 1132,10. The, extra salaries required to? do the work are General Manager’s, the extra 4100 to the Secretary, and the advance of 450 to Mr Hudson. The work is dons for £OSO instead of-63250. There is, in fact, a gayipg.gf 42100, without counting : the saving of the Secretary’s salary paid under the old system. And. yet we have a cry ‘of favouritism. We need not pursue the list, these instances are sufficient. The men' give, .wore Than an equivalent . for jthe - extra ' 'pay : they ’ receive. - Are there to be no increases ?, Arp fill amalgamations involving extra work not to involve , .extra pay? If that,had been done we should have had eloquent denunciations of the “ nigger-driving ’’ policy of the Government.- - Wo havo had instead- a tirade against, political favouritism. But we have yet to learn' that it is favouritism —political or otherwise —to give men additional- pay for permanent ii addition to their work and .responsibility.-; Wo havo to learn, in fact,That the theory i» not the imbecility of political partisanship. 1 f ’ j THE CANADIAN SERVICE. , It is, of course, perfectly open to anybody that pleases bo object to the Canadian or any other service. Opinion is free. But no one ia, obliged 'to . accept objections merely because they happen to :be made; It is true that the' Californian service has nob promoted trade, to the extent that was j predicted when the service was,established and has been hoped for ever since.. Bub ithe service has nevertheless had many ad-: vantages. As to the expected trade development, it is worth white QgkiDS what might bate happened, under Thh''rt;r.§??,2 Of; a commercial treaty.k The. .GaUforhihlf . service has been carried ,oh'inThe face"of a war’ of .tariffs. The Canadian service is Offered the stimulus !of a commercial treaty. It is now recognised by moat thinking men in New Zealand that, the export trade re- ; quires a forward policy, and. that for ft forward policy, commercial,'treaties make the' best possible basis, la conjunction with a treaty, the Canadian’ service Ought to dp very well. The combination, however, is, to say’theloast of; it, worth trying. It is better to try it than, to decry it. MARRIED WOMEN. Why should a married woman whose husband is living .be debarred from earning money as .a school teacher? If the husband is ©confirmed invalid, or in an asyhimV.br in a prison, or unable from, no fault of his own to get work, or unfortunate through cause over which -ho. has had control—in any of these cases there would be no objection' to a - married, woman; earning bread ’for' the But ;,s»ch i» resolution as’ ‘soino-motuborsof the Affefe-' land Board’tef ! Education'i wanted I ,to pahs iwould",'earmhg a copper.- for"a-'‘familyv ( so ’.hliteressed.,; life doubt that is the reason the resolution was rejected.- Theioriy; rule .in. th® din.-': ployment of women marriod or otherwise is the rule to which men v are submitted. No bna-texcept in the’case Of office minors in some lines, of employment - enquires whether there is marriage. The' rule is that thu wack given.for the money must h'<? up to the reqißcad standard of competence;. If married [women, (yhose,;;hasbands iare absent or at work can | submit ;to the rule and knap -their places-thhriiis: no reason why they should not, " They take /employment at their own risk, and cannot efpa.ct exceptional treatment, t; ;] . . ,';kkk‘] STREET SPACE. ~ :V; We congratulate- the Premier^and;; the ■ city will congratulate him—on haying 4 ’ stopped the .narrowing of streets to 40ft. The promoters of the-Bill professed_ them-k selves jtestdy- to accept’ a clause uddening the streets they wanted,’ while only (COnfinf 1 -ing the .metalling, .-and. carting to the par-, rower, limit.;; But.tthi* was palpably an afterthought. Moreover, such a proposal does not want any legislation.. Under .the, present law you can form what you like of the street, but the street must be- set -dess than a certain limit. Why not'leave the ■matter'there ? . . ■ ■ , '

THE CITY LIGHT. Tice thanks of. the city are duo to the Council for abandoning water for steam. Two things have long been apparent; the? city'cannot afford f to -’dovoto water to the lighting of the tity, and!,the city cannot afford to obe,- . badly lighted.*White: the, water was being .waHed7ahd.t'tii6 streets were more' often iiL-darkneae than was socinly, The. .officials , and. the .contractors, fought as to who was to_ blame for everything. The Citizens fhave, (howdyer, long known perfectly well that there was not. on the one hand, enough water, and that there was, on' the other, plenty of mdhey.j The Council has wisely decided to save the water for the use, of.-, the citizens, and to pay a little more "money to get them a better light.' All’s well that tends well!

THE ALCOHOL BILL. It is an extraordinary thing that nobody could be got to vote against the second reading of tho Premier’s Bill. It is all the more extraordinary as the Premier, in his reply, told the Prohibitionists and the men in the other extreme that he -would drag them all into the lobby with him to vote for the moderate measure. But when the time came for division two men could not be found to ha tellers for the noes. There was a scene; the Speaker gave plenty of time and every opportunity. But there was nothing but silence. The 1 result was that the Bill was read a second time unanimously. It was a great triumph for the Government Bill. The Premier declared he would satisfy both sides with the moderation of his principles, and both sides endorsed his views by giving their voices unanimously for the second reading.